Happy New Year! My name is Martin David Kiar and I am your Broward County Commissioner for District 1, which encompasses parts of Davie, Lauderhill, Plantation, Sunrise, Tamarac, and Weston. I had the honor of being sworn in as your County Commissioner on November 20, 2012.

As a lifelong resident of Broward County, I am committed to maintaining our unique way of life for all residents and future generations. We need to keep county property taxes low, improve our economy, and provide the necessary services for our residents.

In an effort to inform our community, I will be sending out an e-newsletter on some of the ordinances and resolutions being considered by the Broward County Commission, updates on Broward County projects, and activities for you and your family. Also, if you visit broward.org you can learn about Broward County services such as our parks and libraries. It is an honor to serve as your Broward County Commissioner. If I can help you, please email me at mkiar@broward.org or call me at 954-357-7001.

Restrictions on the Tethering of Dogs
Unfortunately, there are a number of individuals who tether dogs in a heartless and abusive way. Some dogs are forced to spend their lives outdoors, chained at the neck. While chained, the dogs are exposed to the elements and can be attacked by insects and other animals. Many of these dogs go without food or water. In their struggle to move around, they sometimes become entangled and die of strangulation. The proposed ordinance will allow the tethering of dogs in safe and humane ways that are consistent with animal protection and common sense. The ordinance, if adopted, will specify the types of tethers and collars that can be used, the length, weight and height of tethers, types of running lines, pulleys and other conditions to safely confine dogs.

Broward County Wage Recovery Ordinance
Broward County’s wage recovery ordinance went into effect Wednesday, January 2, 2013. Under the ordinance, if an employee has performed work in Broward County and the employee believes that their employer has failed to pay or underpaid the wage rate applicable for the work performed, the employee may file a complaint and receive an administrative hearing to try to recover pay that was allegedly not received.

Child Safety Alarm Devices
In an effort to ensure that our children are protected, on December 11, 2012, the County Commission unanimously passed an ordinance that requires any vehicle designed to carry six or more children and a driver to have a child safety alarm device. The device must be designed to turn on automatically when the ignition is turned on. The device will sound an alarm if the driver does not go to the back seat of the vehicle to turn it off or does not open the side door of a passenger van.

Update on Courthouse Construction
A new Broward County Courthouse is under construction in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The cost of the project, including demolition, landscaping, connectors and a 500-car secured parking garage, is $213 million. The new 20-story, 741,000-square-foot courthouse will be built on the site where the judicial parking garage is currently located, just west of the main courthouse building. Currently the construction is progressing as scheduled. Recent activity includes the installation of building piles and pile caps that is scheduled to be completed in March. The project team continues to monitor and respond to traffic, pedestrian and noise impacts.

Again, it is an honor to serve as your Broward County Commissioner. If I can ever assist you, then please email me at mkiar@broward.org or call me at 954-357-7001.

Sincerely,
Martin David Kiar

Town Hall Meeting in Weston
I would like to invite you to join myself, State Representative Richard Stark, and State Senator Jeremy Ring on February 26, 2012 for a town hall meeting at Weston City Hall, which is located at 17200 Royal Palm Blvd., Weston, Florida 33326.